


Catharsis

by Francowitch



Series: YOI Ship BINGO [9]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Conversations, Depression, F/M, Post-Break Up, YOI Ship BINGO, another first in pairing, was going to be cracked ended up with this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 21:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11745213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Francowitch/pseuds/Francowitch
Summary: Georgi goes to Lilia and gets some hard advice on how to deal with the emotional fallout from his break up with Anya.





	Catharsis

**Author's Note:**

> 9th BINGO space... Georgi/Lilia...   
> The original intent was to crack this and have Lilia domming Georgi... ended up being her more as a counseling figure instead...
> 
> This is unbeta'd so please forgive me with any issues grammar or otherwise.

Catharsis

 

Georgi was struggling, he knew it, Yakov sure as hell knew it as his voice cracked echoing through the arena. None of his jumps were coming off correctly and it was as though he were wearing slippers instead of skates for the fumbling that was happening in his footwork.

 

“Take a break, Popovich!” Yakov yelled as Georgi took another dive while trying to do a quad.

 

Georgi sighed heavily, there was no point arguing. He winced as he rose from the ice, he was sure by that evening his whole body would be black and blue. His internal voice whispering how it was what he deserved. Having his outsides match his insides. Skating over to the barrier, Georgi took a long drink from his water bottle.

 

“What is going on Popovich?” Yakov was glaring his face in a frown, making him look more like a bulldog than normal. “The last week has not been like you. Missing all of your jumps and the footwork that is better suited to a drunk. You are not drinking, right? If I get word that you are coming in here drunk I will suspend you from the ice-”

 

Before he could go on a tirade Georgi spoke up, “No coach. I haven’t been coming in drunk or drinking more than normal. Not that it would help.”

 

“What the hell is your problem then? You are far too old to be having a growth spurt.”

 

“Anya left me.” The confession came out in a hushed tone.

 

Georgi was grateful he did not to repeat himself, as he saw Yakov nod, his chunky fingers rubbing at his jowls. “Ahh. Well, then I want you to head over to Lilia’s studio. You are banned from the ice until you have your head straight. Or at least your footwork looking better than a first timer on the ice.”

 

Georgi opened his mouth to protest. Only to be silenced by Yakov, “Yes you are banned. You did hear me correctly, I don’t need to keep watching you turn the same colour of your damn makeup. Come back when you feel you have your head back into your programs. When you can channel that into your skate.”

 

Georgi shut his mouth nodding mutely, he knew in the end what Yakov was saying was correct. He was not accomplishing anything by falling all the time. What he needed was a change of pace and being in the dance studio accomplished that while still allowing him to practice and not entirely lose out on training time.

 

***

 

Lilia’s studio was not unfamiliar to him, the smell of wood and sweat from many years and countless students who have walked through using the room for their practices. The soft sound of his slippered feet, tapping across the highly polished wood floors as Georgi made his way over to the barre to start stretching. As always the silence of the place is what unnerved Georgi the most. The rink was loud, between the sounds of Yakov barking out commands, the laughter and chatter of his rink mates to even the sharp clicks of blades against the cold ice. The rink was always full of life and noise. The ballet studio, on the other hand, was hushed, even when full of students, there was no chatter or additional noises. Lilia when coaching would walk around with a crop type thing that she would use to tap at an offending limb. Correcting her student’s poses with a touch or shark click of her tongue.

 

As it happened that afternoon Georgi was the only one using the studio. The silence stretched around him so that his laboured breathing was all he could hear, as he stretched and bent his body trying to find the flexibility of someone half his age. When warmed up, Georgi took to the floor, the intention of working through his routine. He was about to start his third attempt when he heard a sharp click of the tongue behind him. Opening his eyes, Georgi saw Lilian standing in the room, her eyes narrowed.

 

“Enough.” Lilia’s voice was sharp.

 

Georgi could feel himself sag, for the second time that day he had been told to stop what he was doing. He really was a failure as a skater, as a person. With a heavy sigh Georgi nodded, he walked over to where he had left his towel and water, drying himself off and replenishing his fluids he looked over to where Lilia was still watching him.

 

“Come, get changed and meet me in my office.”

 

Without waiting for his response Lilia turned her back straight as she glided out of the studio into the back where the offices were. Georgi felt confused as he went back to the change rooms, his mind a whirl going over anything that Lilia could possibly want to say to him. Perhaps she would discuss with him how he should be looking at retiring. As it was, at nearly twenty-eight, Georgi was at the higher end of his career. It was only a matter of time before he would age out or have an injury that would take him out of the competitive circuit. And this past week he had been skating as though he no longer had the stamina for the sport. His mistakes were not that of a medalist. And when compared to those like Viktor who captured gold every event he competed in despite his age, Georgi was looking worn out and tired. Maybe it was a sign and he should retire. Beat both Yakov and Lilia to the punch and just announce it himself without the prodding from his coaches and mentors.

 

Georgi was in a daze but ready to make his announcement when he walked into Lilia’s office. The door was open that as he approached he just heard her calling his name to join her and to shut the door behind him. What he saw when he entered was not what he was expecting. Lilia’s office was a bit of a contrast to her overall character. While on the outside she was cold and unapproachable, her office was designed that it felt very warm and well loved. The whole room was done up in deep rich woods and leather, with a floor to ceiling bookcase which encompassed one wall which was filled with assorted books. Some of dance, and the arts, and old traditional fairy tales. The other two walls were covered in photos, from Lilia’s time as a prima along with some of her students over the years. There was even an old black and white photo of Yakov, back when he skated. A much leaner and less lined man, bent in a camel spin, locked in that image for all time.

 

He was appreciating some of the photos when Lilia came up behind him handing Georgi a glass with clear liquid. The scent told him it was some vodka and not the cheap stuff that burned your eyes and throat going down. This was good, proper stuff which warmed you up and had actual flavour.

 

“Thank you,” Georgi says as he accepts the glass. Taking a deep breath there is the hint of a floral scent which rises up from the drink, he takes a sip enjoying the complexities of the alcohol as it slides down his throat, warming him up.

 

“That would be one of my best students, a young Japanese girl.” Lilia mused pointing to another image, this of a young girl with flowing black hair. She was staring into the camera while one leg was propped up on the barre, her arms held out, one in front and one raised above her head.

 

“She looks beautiful.”

 

“She was a total pain in the ass, but determined.” Lilia huffed, amusement in her voice as she reminisced. “She writes to me now and then, she has a dance studio of her own now back in that small town she lives in. Back in Japan. Such a waste, she could still be out there if she really wanted to.” Lilia shrugged indicating that Georgi should sit in one of the over stuffed leather chairs. “So tell me what is happening with you? Heartbreak I am assuming?”

 

Georgi nodded, he could feel the tears building up, “Yes, Anya left me.”

 

Lilia nodded sipping her drink. “And that is why your routine is now falling apart.”

 

Georgi looked up a tear escaping, while he knew his was failing, it was not something he wanted to hear. “I am a failure, yes. I just might retire.”

 

“Tch!” Lilia’s eyes flashed with annoyance, “What do you mean to retire? And who said failure? You ended your relationship, not your career.”

 

Georgi recoiled at the sharp tone. “She actually left me. She broke up with me in the middle of--” Georgi choked off, he was not able to say it out loud, the embarrassment of it was almost too much for him. He took a deep breath, “No matter, she is also with someone new already.”

 

Lilia scoffed, “She left you, you left her. It does not matter who did the leaving, you are not together anymore, correct?” Georgi nodded, “So you need to change your program.”

 

Georgi’s eyes went wide, “Change my program? Yakov would never allow it! My first competition is in only two weeks! There is no way I can change my theme, it has already been announced.”

 

“Pah!” Lilia waved a hand, “Fuck the announcement. And if Yakov yells at you, you can remind him about 1967. Just that. Just say 1967 and that I told you to say that. He will know.”

 

Georgi was shaking his head, could he really do that? Just change up his theme? He was supposed to be skating about his love and devotion. “I don’t know madam Lilia, it might be just easier to retire than to change my whole skate.”

 

“Easier to quit? Of course, it is easier to give up. I just did not think that Yakov had taken on such weak willed skaters now.” She sucked in a breath, “Perhaps I wasted my good vodka on you.”

 

Georgi’s eyes flashed in annoyance, “I am not weak!”

 

“So you say, and yet you talk of quitting.”

 

“It isn't that I  _ want _ to quit.” Georgi sighed trying to put it into words, “I am just not sure who I am anymore.”

 

Lilia nodded, “I do understand that you know.” She got up to refill their drinks before continuing. “I have been divorced, and it throws off your whole world. Yes, even I have had off days and seasons with my dancing.” She chuckled lightly at Georgi’s wide eyes.

 

“How did you move past it?”

 

Lilia smiled, “I used the energy, the anger, the betrayal, the pain; I put it into my dance. I poured all of my emotions into my dancing and let my body speak for me. While quitting would have been an easier route, I chose to pour it into my work.”

 

“Maybe you are right.”

 

Lilia clinked her glass against Georgi’s taking a deep drink. “Of course I am right. People should listen to me more often.”

 

Georgi smirked, “I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t listen to you.”

 

“Ahh, but to listen the first time?” She raised her finger in protest, “That would be a nice change.”

 

Georgi now chuckled, taking in a deep breath he was resolved, she was right after all. Why allow this to drown him when it could fuel him instead. “Okay, I will change my program. I am just not sure to what.”

 

“Now that I might be able to help you with!” Lilia got up once more, taking their empty glasses and placing them on her desk along with the bottle of Vodka. Walking over to her bookcase she pulled out a few sheets of music. “You need something dramatic, and your make-up. Sweeping purple I am thinking, perhaps blacks as well. Sort of like the Black swan.”

 

The more she spoke the more into the idea Georgi was. By the time Georgi left, he was more than a bit tipsy, his brain overflowing with ideas for his new program. They had even drafted out a rough idea for the skate itself which he would practice the next day in the studio then present to Yakov by the end of the week. Georgi was now more resolved to let this breakup fuel his skating, perhaps after seeing his skate, she would think of taking him back. And then they could be back on track. And he could be happy once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos feeds my muse!
> 
> Come follow me on Tumblr for more YOI fics and chatter... my ask is always open  
> [francowitch ](http://francowitch.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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